The contestant awed the judges and made it through the second round. However, she expressed her intention to quit the competition after having difficulty being away from her children.
"American Idol" contestant Sara Beth Liebe will no longer be competing for the 21st season of the show after expressing mom guilt for being away from her children and doing "something completely selfish," People reported.
This is despite judge Katy Perry's plea for her to stay on after making it through the next round on last Sunday night's episode. The pop singer did her best to convince Liebe but to no avail.
"Sara Beth, I know life is scary. I also know that it's easier to walk away than to be rejected. But then I also know that you lose out on your fullest potential and I know that you love your family for your kids. I know that as a mother. But remember, self-love is just as big as motherly love. Don't leave the competition," Perry stressed.
'American Idol' Contestant Chooses Kids Over Opportunity
Liebe had already expressed her doubts and intentions to her guest coach Clay Aiken earlier that day while fine-tuning her version of The Police song "Roxanne" before performing it for the judges.
"I've been a mom since I was 18. I've been married since I was 18 and I don't feel like I fit the mold," she expressed to Aiken. She also told the cameras that she was having a hard time being away from the kids and being plagued by guilt, feeling like being on the show was very selfish of her.
After her performance that wowed the judges, she abruptly expressed her intention to leave the competition, Forbes stated.
"This opportunity is really rad but this is actually gonna be my last performance 'cause my heart's at home. So I'm gonna get home to my babies, they kind of need me. So thank you, thanks," she told them, leaving the judges surprised and confused.
When she was called back on stage to be informed that she got through the next round, Perry convinced her one more time, yet the mother of three had already made up her mind saying that she was aware of the great opportunity in front of her, but she still wants to go home.
Embarrassed by Perry's 'Mom-Shaming' Comment
It can be recalled that the contestant had made some waves prior to her quitting the competition.
A TikTok video of hers went viral after she shared how she felt about Perry's joke towards her during the audition for the competition. When the judges discovered that the contestant was so young-looking and already a mother of three, Perry commented, "Honey, you've been laying on the table too much."
According to Today, people were labeling the joke as "not funny" and "mom-shaming," and Liebe was honest and brave enough to admit on her video that she was, in fact, hurt and embarrassed.
"It was embarrassing to have that on TV and it was hurtful, and that's that. But I did want to take this opportunity to just say that I think that women supporting and uplifting other women is so cool, and I think that mom shaming is super lame," she expressed.
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